Shinsegae Food "Cafeteria 'Take Out' Increases by 31%"

A convenient meal 'Platter' by Shinsegae Food where you can enjoy both salad and sandwich (Photo by Shinsegae Food)

[Asia Economy Reporter Seungjin Lee] Due to the impact of COVID-19, as more office workers seek to safely enjoy meals in individual spaces rather than in cafeterias, take-out convenience meals are gaining popularity.

According to Shinsegae Food on the 15th, the usage of take-out convenience meals provided in cafeterias from January to June increased by 31% compared to the same period last year. In particular, from July 1 to 10, when social distancing measures were strengthened due to the fourth wave of COVID-19 resurgence, the usage of take-out convenience meals increased by 72% compared to the same period last year.

Shinsegae Food analyzed that office workers are opting for take-out convenience meals instead of cafeterias to minimize contact with others due to concerns about the spread of COVID-19. They also noted that the increase in office workers wanting to have a simple meal at their desks during lunch and spend personal time has influenced this trend.

Accordingly, Shinsegae Food expects the demand for take-out convenience meals to continue rising and is developing new menus while operating dedicated take-out corners within cafeterias to target the meal service market.

First, they expanded the variety of take-out convenience meals to about 100 items, including not only salads and sandwiches mainly offered in cafeterias but also bakery items such as meal breads, pizzas, desserts, as well as hamburgers, cut fruits, gimbap, snacks, and beverages. Additionally, they introduced platters combining two popular items?salads and sandwiches?for office workers who want to enjoy both together.

Considering the difficulty of dining out due to the elevated social distancing levels, they are also expanding menus that were previously enjoyed at dining-out establishments or homemade convenience meals. Premium salads, which could typically be enjoyed at specialty salad shops using healthy ingredients like basil, avocado, and ricotta as toppings, are now freshly made in cafeterias. Recently, they have also started offering vegan-exclusive lunch boxes and salads.

A Shinsegae Food official said, “As the preference for take-out convenience meals among employees has recently increased, we are changing our operation methods by adding dedicated corners within cafeterias or even operating exclusively with take-out convenience meals.” He added, “We plan to strengthen our competitiveness in the meal service market by actively utilizing Shinsegae Food’s infrastructure that can handle everything from planning to production and supply of take-out convenience meals.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.